


He is the Sun

by comefeedtherainn



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Crossover, M/M, Mass Effect January Jubilation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-27 19:41:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17773046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comefeedtherainn/pseuds/comefeedtherainn
Summary: Reyes fancied himself a survivor, more than anything. Someone willing to do whatever it took to keep his own heart beating. Sometimes, that necessitated joining up with the fools trying to stitch up the hole in the sky to make sure they did it right.Written for ME January Jubilation for trajektoria!





	He is the Sun

Reyes wondered, not for the first time, if the people of Haven truly thought he didn’t hear the whispers of “knife ear” and “savage,” or if they simply didn’t care. The twin daggers strapped to his back had been enough to shut shems up before, but clearly these sort were brave. Or stupid. Maybe both.

Three days since he’d joined up with the Inquisition, and he still had yet to see the Herald of Andraste himself, not even in passing. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected - a strange part of his mind had conjured up images of a man dressed head to toe in upside down Chantry symbols, making impassioned speeches and maybe sacrificing goats to the Breach - but the Herald’s inner circle appeared to be doing all they could to keep him out of public eye. Probably for the best, Reyes mused. The odds of the man’s assassination were quite high.

Beating the shit out of practice dummies was all that was keeping Reyes sane, at the moment.

He’d joined to cozy up to the important people, as he had done for his entire life. That was how he’d survived this long, a city elf with no family and no home to speak of. Befriending the powerful, charming the wealthy, and learning quickly how to cut and run at a moment’s notice when things got hairy. Reyes fancied himself a survivor, more than anything. Someone willing to do whatever it took to keep his own heart beating. Sometimes, that necessitated joining up with the fools trying to stitch up the hole in the sky to make sure they did it right.

He hadn’t accounted for the fact that the Herald of Andraste would be holed up inside the Chantry most days, and seemed to leave so quickly for missions that no one could catch a glimpse. Reyes had considered just barging in on a war table meeting and making himself known, as was his typical style, but that sister of the Inquisitor’s made him a bit nervous. She had a look in her eye like she’d just as soon light you on fire as shake your hand, especially where protecting her brother was concerned.

Reyes was shaken from his thoughts as he was nearly bowled over, catching himself on the wall of the building he’d been leaning on before he could topple into the snow.

“Shit, sorry,” came a voice from behind him, hushed as if afraid of being overheard.

“No harm done,” Reyes said casually, glancing over his shoulder. He was met with a human man, tall with pale skin and a light stubble, his brown hair fluffy and disheveled on top of his head. He practically hid behind Reyes, peering around him with shifty eyes. “Running from someone, friend?”

“Just escaping for a bit,” the man said, flashing him a charming grin that certainly did not make Reyes’ heart flutter. “I’ve been in that damn Chantry for days now, I’m going insane.”

Reyes’ ears pricked at that and he glanced down, noting the bandage wrapped around his right hand. He grinned, holding out his own hand to shake. “Am I to assume you are the Herald of Andraste?”

The man grimaced, though he did reciprocate the handshake firmly. “That’s what they keep saying. No matter how much I argue. Nice to meet you, uh…?”

“Reyes Vidal,” he replied, smiling even wider. His luck had turned so quickly it nearly bowled him over, it seemed. “A pleasure to meet you. I recently joined up.”

“Oh. No one mentioned.”

“No, I don’t suppose they would have,” Reyes snorted.

The Herald smiled apologetically. “Scott Ryder,” he said.

“You are a difficult man to locate, Scott,” Reyes told him with a grin.

Scott scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I swear it’s like having babysitters. Every time I try to leave the Chantry I get steered back inside by a Mother or an advisor.”

Reyes shrugged. “To be fair, you are a mage accused of murdering the Divine. You are in no small amount of danger.”

“How do you know I’m a mage?”

“I make it my business to know things, Scott Ryder,” Reyes replied with a crooked grin. The faintest hint of pink bloomed on Scott’s cheeks.

Oh, this was going to be fun.

* * *

Once Scott had been made aware of his presence, Reyes was suddenly accompanying him on missions where before he’d been overlooked. Strange, how that worked. Reyes was pleased on one hand, but on the other, if he had to spend one more minute slogging through the hills of the Hinterlands he was going to throw himself from the nearest cliff. If that didn’t kill him, the scathing stares from Scott’s companions were sure to do it.

Sara, Scott’s sister, and Liam, his friend with a greatsword and no self control, obviously disapproved of the new addition to the team. If Reyes were a bit more jaded he’d make assumptions about what exactly it was that made them distrust him, but Sara had made it clear. No problem with elves, only with rogues and gang leaders. Which…was fair, Reyes supposed with an amused smirk. He was certainly both of those, and a dangerous one at that.

“I’m willing to give anyone a chance,” Liam explained as the four of them wandered through the cursed hills - it felt like they’d been there for fucking weeks. “But you know as well as us that Scott isn’t safe. We’re wary of anyone who comes waltzing in.”

“Especially those who have no reason to be waltzing in at all,” Sara scoffed.

Reyes rolled his eyes. “In case either of you have forgotten, the fact that I am a gifted thief and manipulator - extremely gifted, by the way - does not change the fact that we all live underneath the same sky. And that sky is torn open. Of course I have reason to be here.”

“He has a point.”

“You’re gullible, Liam.”

“Alright, alright,” Scott groaned, turned around to scowl at them from his place at the front of the party. “You’re all giving me a headache. That’s-” He paused, gasping and clutching his bandaged hand. Through the folds, Reyes could see a green glow.

“What is it?” Sara asked tensely, reaching to clutch Scott’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“Mark stings,” Scott grunted through his teeth. “Must be a rift nearby.”

“Shit.”

As if on cue, Reyes’ ears pricked as he heard rustling in the trees, and faint echoes of snarling and shrieking. “In the woods,” he said, pointing toward the tree line. “I hear something. If it’s not demons, then it’s someone having a very bad day.”

Scott snorted, heading in that direction as he pulled his staff from his back. “Alright, then. Let’s check it out.”

The further they ventured into the trees, the louder the inhuman shrieking became. They saw the green glow filtering through the foliage before they saw the rift itself, dripping black slime onto the grass and vomiting demons in all sorts of fun varieties. Reyes grimaced as he drew his daggers, squinting up at a particularly nasty looking rage demon.

“You know, I don’t think I really thought this through when I joined up.”

“In too deep now, Vidal,” Liam snorted, before drawing is greatsword and dashing into the fray.

Compared to the reports he’d heard from the disaster at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, these demons were puny. Even the terror demons really only had a foot or so on Reyes, where they were normally meant to tower above a grown man. Not that Reyes had had much by way of demon interaction, but he’d read a lot. Which was nearly the same thing.

Due to their size, or lack thereof, the party was able to wipe out the demons relatively quickly. Reyes wiped the sweat from his eyes and forehead with the back of his hand, staring up at the rift. “Well. Now what?”

He blinked as a hand nudged him aside, realizing it was Scott approaching the glowing rift and unwrapping his bandaged hand. Once it was free he held it out high, and a popping sound so loud it rang Reyes’ ears echoed throughout the trees around them. Scott’s palm began to glow, the green hue lighting up all of his veins from the inside and through his skin. The rift seemed to react in kind, glowing ever brighter until the party had to squint or cover their eyes. Then, all at once, it was over. The rift was sealed, nowhere to be seen, and Scott was on his knees, cradling his hand in his lap.

“Scott.” Sara dropped down beside him, frowning as he bent to peer into his face. “Scott, are you okay?”

“Peachy,” Scott replied, his voice a bit strained. “Never better.”

She snorted, reaching to carefully help him to his feet. “Come on.”

Reyes frowned in concern as she helped him carefully wrap the bandage around the mark again. “Is everything alright? What just happened?”

“Nothing,” was Sara’s clipped reply.

Scott patted her hand reassuringly, smiling when she gave him an unsure look. When she kept up the staring contest he switched to puppy dog eyes, fluttering his eyelashes at her. Eventually that appeared to work as she groaned, rolling her eyes and throwing her hands up. After another moment of getting their bearings, they continued on.

Reyes watched Scott closely as they brought up the rear for any residual signs of pain, frowning to himself when he realised what he was doing. Well, of course he gave a damn if the Herald was hurt, he reasoned. That would severely impact that cause. Right.

“How did you do that, back there?” he asked eventually.

Scott blinked at him, like he’d been lost in thought. “Do what?”

“With the rift. You…closed it.”

Scott nodded slowly, giving him an incredulous stare. “Right. I do that sometimes.”

Reyes snorted, lifting his eyes to the sky. “Yes, I’m aware. I just meant…is it magic?”

“Hm. I’m not sure.” Scott looked down at his hand, touching the bandages lightly. “I don’t think so. Not my magic, anyway. It doesn’t feel the same. I imagine anyone who had the mark could use it, even if they weren’t a mage.”

“How did you get it?”

Scott frowned, rubbing the center of his forehead with the heel of his palm. “I don’t remember.”

Reyes watched him closely, looking for any sense of his sister’s characteristic dodging. There was none, though, just a haunted look in his eye that pulled at some forgotten strings of Reyes’ heart.

“Well. Perhaps it will come to you, soon.”

“Mm. Let’s hope so.”

* * *

Scott’s laugh was beginning to do funny things to Reyes’ head.

It was a bright, noisy thing, echoing around Haven and making Reyes’ mind feel like it was full of cotton and stealing the breath from his lungs. Though, maybe that was just the cold, he mused, rubbing his arms as the pair of them walked slowly through the village grounds. Scott liked to check up on everyone periodically, an endearing trait to add to the quickly growing list. Not that Scott was endearing, of course. Just parts of him. Small parts.

“Cold?” Scott asked, his tone just to the right side of teasing that Reyes fixed him with a narrowed glare.

“I’m fine.”

“Of course,” Scott snickered, his grin crooked. “I could warm you up if you want.” He laughed when Reyes stared at him. “Magic.”

“Right. Well. No need,” Reyes said breezily, trying to pretend his mind hadn’t gone anywhere…particular. “I am built for the elements, after all.”

“Uh huh.”

Reyes snorted as Scott just continued to snicker away at his expense. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a bit of a pain in the ass, Herald?”

“My name isn’t Harold, it’s Scott.”

That one got a real laugh out of Reyes, and he shoved Scott hard enough to make him stumble. “You deserved it,” he grinned when Scott gave him a playfully scandalized look.

“Maybe. But I’m cute, you shouldn’t push me.”

“True.”

They were both silent as they realized he’d let that slip, neither of them sure what to do with it. Reyes wasn’t normally so…bashful, he frowned, feeling his cheeks burning a bit. Blushing? Really? Blushing?!

“Anyway,” Scott said eventually. “Any opinion on the mages versus templars debate?”

Reyes snorted, secretly relieved for the change of topic. “Well, I wouldn’t trust a templar as far as I could throw them. Which isn’t very far, despite my impressive physique.”

Scott rolled his eyes with a smirk, though his eyes lingered on Reyes’ arms for a moment. If Reyes flexed a little, no one would be able to prove it.

“I know. Neither would I. I’m half convinced that bringing templars here would get Sara and I tossed in a Circle faster than we could blink. But…I do worry about Abominations.”

Reyes hummed, his eyes on the horizon as they made their way out of the village proper and made their way closer to the frozen lake down the hill.

“A valid concern. One you must also consider for yourself and your sister.”

“Of course. But with only the two of us, well…a handful of templars could manage us. If need be. Not so with an army of mages.”

Reyes looked at him in mild horror. “You are not dogs to be put down.”

Scott avoided his eyes, his own gaze on the ground. “I know. I’m just trying to be…practical.”

“Hm. Those advisors of yours have been in your ear.”

“…they just want what’s best for everyone. This is bigger than us.”

Reyes took a deep breath through his nose. The pair of them began to slowly follow the perimeter of the lake, their boots leaving long trails in the snow with their slow strides.

“Be that as it may,” Reyes continued, “the allegiances of the templars are up for debate, at the moment. And the Breach is magic, and where mages are vulnerable to the Fade, they also have the most connection to it. Which may gain us an advantage.”

He felt Scott’s eyes.

“So what do you think?” he prompted.

Reyes flashed him a small, crooked smile. “I think that you should put more stock into your own instincts, and less into those that attempt to govern things they do not understand.”

Within the week, the tents outside of Haven’s walls were filled with rebel mages.

* * *

Later, Reyes would blame it all on caffeinated tea.

He lay wide awake, staring at the ceiling above his bed, regretting his decision to have a cup of whatever he could find before bed. Scott had managed to get him permission to take a spare room in the chantry, which Reyes would have felt guilty for if he wasn’t so grateful for being out of the snow. Still, it was eerily quiet. He was certainly no Dalish, but he’d grown accustomed to the whisper of the wind and crickets while he slept. Even his days in Denerim hadn’t been this quiet, the bustle of the city audible outside of his window at all hours.

He frowned as the eerie silence was broken by…something. He couldn’t quite hear, sitting up and straining his ears to pick it up. It almost sounded like groaning, like someone was in pain. He got to his feet, taking the candle from his night table before following the sound out into the hall and next door, outside of Scott’s door. The groaning was louder now, hoarse and broken like a wounded animal. Reyes pushed his way past the door without thinking, and froze in the doorway.

Scott was fast asleep on the bed and shaking, covered in sweat as more of those wretched moans sounded deep in his throat. Around him, each piece of furniture was hovering in place, lifting and lowering with each noise Scott made. His mark was glowing brightly, shining through it’s bandages and casting shapes on the walls and ceiling.

“Scott.” Reyes rushed to his side, setting aside his candle before taking hold of his shoulder and shaking. “Scott, wake up. Wake up, you’re dreaming.”

At once, Scott’s eyes flew open and he gasped harshly, sitting up and shoving Reyes away instinctively. The furniture landed back in place with a unanimous thud.

“What?” he breathed, his chest heaving. “What happened?”

“You were dreaming,” Reyes repeated, cautiously approaching him again. “Are you alright?” Scott didn’t answer him except to nod weakly, passing a hand over his mouth. “Do you want me to get Sara?”

Scott shook his head quickly. “No. Don’t worry her, it’s…I’m fine.”

Reyes nodded, watching him for a moment. “What were you dreaming of?” He bit the inside of his own cheek as he realized how tactless that was.

He wasn’t met with offense, though, just that same lost look in Scott’s eyes. “I…don’t know. The details have gone already.” He hissed quietly, holding his still glowing hand to his chest gingerly. It’s light was slowly fading, flickering like a flame.

Reyes was reaching out to touch it without thinking, pausing when he realized what he’d done. Scott didn’t stop him, though, so he carefully held the hand in his own. “What does it feel like?” he asked quietly.

“Like my nerves are on fire,” Scott murmured, his eyes on Reyes’ fingers as he gently massaged the fingers and bits of palm surrounding the mark.

“Does that hurt?”

“No.”

“Does it help?”

“A little.”

“Good.”

Reyes continued to gently soothe Scott’s hand, until the harsh glow had faded back behind the bandages. He hesitated to let him go, having enjoyed the warmth of his skin more than he wanted to admit, but eventually did so.

“I should let you get back to sleep,” he said, getting to his feet. He made it to the door before Scott spoke.

“Reyes.”

He stopped, turning to look at him.

“…will you stay?” Scott’s voice was so small when he asked.

The stony part of Reyes’ heart, the part he’d closed off for his own protection, threw up a wall the second the words left Scott’s lips. The other, more stubborn part, fluttered gently.

“…if you want me to.”

“I do.”

Before he could talk himself out of it, Reyes crossed the distance between them, sitting on the edge of Scott’s bed. When Scott moved to make room for him before holding up his blanket, he took the invitation and crawled under the covers. Almost instantly Scott was clinging to him like an octopus, his head pillowed on Reyes’ chest. He couldn’t help the foolish smile if he wanted to.

“Comfortable?”

“Yes,” Scott laughed quietly. “I’m sorry, should I-”

“Don’t you dare,” Reyes smirked, wrapping an arm around him.

Neither of them slept for quite a while. Scott’s shirt was still a little damp with sweat, but he clung so tightly that Reyes couldn’t find it in himself to mind. He wondered when he’d gotten so soft as he rubbed slow circles between Scott’s shoulder blades. He felt Scott shifting a little and peered down at him, met with soft brown eyes illuminated by the candle flame still dancing on the nightstand. Saying nothing, Scott stretched upward, delicately pressing his lips to his. Reyes closed his eyes, responding just as gently, his arms still wound around Scott and holding him close.

They still said nothing. Reyes supposed they didn’t really need to; everything they could have ever said could be felt in the air around them. Suddenly he was very tired, Scott’s warmth getting to him. Scott must have felt the same as he readjusted himself, the pair of them sliding to be more horizontal and then clinging to each other again. Reyes listened to Scott’s breath evening out until it became deep and measured, ghosting comfortingly over the arm that Reyes had draped over his shoulders. In time, he fell asleep as well.

* * *

Haven was burning.

It was all Reyes could do to not lose track of Scott in the chaos, smoke stinging his eyes and screams echoing off of the mountains in the distance. The pair of them were dashing toward the chantry, ducking instinctively as a dragon soared overhead. A dragon. A fucking dragon.

He grunted as Liam grabbed a fistful of his shirt, hauling him through the chantry doors and pushing Scott in straight after him. The door slid shut, the harsh scrape of wood on stone echoing in the high ceilings. The dragon roared somewhere overhead, as if in reply.

“Maker’s balls, we are in trouble,” Liam muttered, grinding his teeth as he paced. Sara watched him quietly, her eyes following his path.

“If we don’t do something, more people are going to die,” Scott said tensely. “What does he even want?”

“I don’t know.”

“We can evacuate. There’s a passage out of the chantry. Underground. But we won’t have enough time to make a clean getaway without some sort of distraction,” Sara sighed, rubbing her forehead agitatedly.

Reyes looked between them all, silent because for once, he had nothing to suggest. Things were about as shitty as shitty could get, and the options were quite limited. He paused when he saw a look on Scott’s face that he wasn’t sure he liked.

“What?” he asked slowly, afraid of what he might hear. That look never led to anything good, especially where Scott’s general well-being was concerned.

Scott met his eyes, having the decency to at least look marginally guilty. That too was swept away, though, as he lifted his chin and straightened his back.

“I can distract them. Fire the trebuchet at the mountain, bury their troops.”

“No,” said Sara and Reyes simultaneously.

The stubborn set of Scott’s brow firmed. “Yes. It’s the only way we get the remaining villagers out, or have a chance of saving our own skins.”

“But what about your skin?” Sara snapped, the worry sitting in the deep lines between her brows.

“I’ll be fine,” he promised, flashing one of his signature crooked smiles.

“Scott,” Reyes said lowly, hoping his expression was schooled even though his heart was hammering against his ribs. “This is foolish.”

“Maybe.” Scott didn’t elaborate, only taking a moment to kiss him briefly before jogging toward the door. “Liam, get them out!” And with that, he’d disappeared.

Reyes ground his teeth, marching in the same direction. “I’m going after him.”

“No you’re not,” Liam warned, reaching out to grab onto his arm. Reyes yanked it away just as swiftly. “You’ll only distract him. If he’s set on doing this, let’s make sure it’s not in vain. Let’s get everyone out.”

Fuck.

“Fine,” Reyes snapped, casting one more anxious glance over his shoulder before hurrying after Liam and Sara.

* * *

Reyes had never been an especially violent man. He was as likely to pick from your pocket as he was to shake your hand, but rarely did he wish to cause anyone physical harm that didn’t deserve it. The exception was, apparently, when the Herald of Andraste went missing in an avalanche for several hours. Then, Reyes wanted to wring the neck of the next person to look at him funny.

“Reyes,” Sara sighed, watching him pace and fidget from where she sat near the fire. They’d just finished feeding all of the refugees from Haven, the makeshift camp they’d assembled now quiet as everyone slept off the exhaustion. “You need to sit down. You’re giving me a headache.”

Reyes grunted, not looking at her. “I’ll sit when he’s back.”

“He’ll make it.”

“How do you know?”

“I can feel it.”

He snorted, lifting his eyes to the sky. “You can feel it?”

“Yes,” she said seriously. “He’s alive, so sit down and let’s be here waiting when he finds his way.”

Not unlike a petulant child he flopped onto the nearest dry spot to sit, which happened to be a crate of provisions they’d managed to haul with them.

“I wish I could have such faith.”

“It isn’t faith,” she said. “Although I do have that. I wasn’t being metaphorical. Mage twins. It isn’t uncommon for us to have psychic connections.”

Reyes’ eyebrows rose to the top of his forehead. “I see. That’s…impressive.”

She snorted. “I guess.” Reyes could have sworn he heard a bit of a playful lilt to her voice that was normally reserved for…well, people she liked.

“…I just hope he’s alright,” Reyes murmured, staring at the entrance to their camp as if Scott would come waltzing in any moment.

Sara sighed quietly, frowning into the flames before them. “Me, too.”

* * *

Scott finally found them in the middle of the night. He stumbled into camp, drenched down to the bone with his clothes covered in frozen-over snow. Reyes was asleep when he arrived, roused by Sara shouting for a doctor and some blankets and dry clothes. He wanted to run to Scott but, as usual, his sister had beaten him to it. He watched from the sidelines, instead, as Scott slowly thawed, sitting by the fire now wrapped in at least four blankets and dry clothes, a mug of tea in his palms. Nothing looked frostbitten, Reyes noted with a relieved sigh, though whether or not he’d come down with a fever remained to be seen.

“I’ll get you something to eat,” Sara said, squeezing Scott’s shoulder and pushing up onto her feet. “You must be starving.”

“Thanks,” he smiled, done shivering by now but looking damn exhausted.

When Sara left, it was just the two of them, and Reyes warred internally with his desire to leap on the man and smother him in kisses so he could never scare him like that again. It was a frightening feeling, to care so deeply for another person. He’d spent so long on his own.

“Come sit,” Scott said quietly, smiling up at Reyes and jarring him from his own thoughts. His throat sounded a bit sore. “Please?”

“Alright.” As if Reyes would ever deny him anything, at this point. He sat down slowly, resting his forearms on his bent legs, his feet pressing into the tarp they rested on and making divots in the snow beneath. “…I’m glad to see you well.”

Scott gave him a funny look, his mouth twisted up a bit in amusement. “Thank you. So polite.”

Reyes let out a long sigh. “I don’t know how to do this.”

“What? Have feelings?”

“…yes.”

Scott laughed quietly, scooting over a bit to close the distance between them. Once they were pressed comfortably together he leaned, resting his head on Reyes’ shoulder with a contented hum.

“Mm. Good thing I have enough feelings for both of us.”

“You certainly do.” A pause. “What, um…what are you feeling right now?”

“Cold.”

“Besides that. Do you need another blanket-?”

“No, I was joking,” Scott laughed, his grin gentle. The flickering light of the fire cast heavy shadows over his features, but his eyes were bright. “I feel a lot of things, I suppose. Afraid. Confused. Angry. …happy to be here with you, though,” he admitted quietly.

Reyes couldn’t help the smile, even as he noticed the looks he was getting from members of the camp - particularly the chantry sisters. “A shame that we have to keep it to ourselves.”

“Says who?”

Reyes blinked down at him. “Says…everyone. Quite literally.”

Scott snorted, tilted his head back and kissing him gently. The looks turned into whispers, but Reyes could not find it in him to give a damn.

“They can say what they like. I’m the damn Herald of Andraste.”

Reyes snickered, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close, rubbing at his shoulder to warm him a bit more.

“You just might be.”


End file.
